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Hazardous Materials Removal Workers in District of Columbia

Considering working as a Hazardous Materials Removal Workers in District of Columbia? Below are the key facts. Identify, remove, pack, transport, or dispose of hazardous materials, including asbestos, lead-based paint, waste oil, fuel, transmission fluid, radioactive materials, or contaminated soil. Specialized training and certification in hazardous materials handling or a confined entry permit are generally required. May operate earth-moving equipment or trucks.

$58,490 Median Annual Wage (District of Columbia)

$31,832 National Median Annual Wage

40 District of Columbia Employment

Medium Preparation Needed Typical Preparation

What do Hazardous Materials Removal Workers Make in District of Columbia?

For hazardous materials removal workers working in District of Columbia, wages run about $58,490 per year (or roughly $28.12/hour).Annual wages span from $51,900 at the 10th percentile to $70,530 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$51,900	$24.95
25th percentile	$51,910	$24.96
Median (50th)	$58,490	$28.12
75th percentile	$64,540	$31.03
90th percentile	$70,530	$33.91

Salary ranges for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers in District of Columbia

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in District of Columbia relative to the national average — is 0.16, indicating fewer hazardous materials removal workers per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, hazardous materials removal workers earn a median of $31,832 per year ($15.30/hour), above the District of Columbia median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 380,120 hazardous materials removal workers across the United States. In District of Columbia alone, around 40 people work in this role. That trails the typical state, which employs around 610 hazardous materials removal workers.

Forecasted number of jobs for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

Top District of Columbia Metros for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

The metro areas below employ the most hazardous materials removal workers in District of Columbia.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	590	$48,880

Top States for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers Employment

These states have the highest employment of hazardous materials removal workers work.

State	Number Employed
California	7,950
New York	3,660
Texas	3,260
Washington	2,850
Massachusetts	2,550
Florida	2,300
New Jersey	2,090
Colorado	1,950
Illinois	1,810
Pennsylvania	1,600
Virginia	1,290
Oregon	1,230
North Carolina	1,210
Ohio	1,160
Louisiana	1,020
Michigan	960
New Mexico	940
South Carolina	870
Maryland	830
Indiana	800

Highest-Paying States for Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

Where hazardous materials removal workers earn the most: hazardous materials removal workers.

State	Annual Median Salary
Tennessee	$65,080
Minnesota	$63,560
New York	$62,610
Idaho	$61,230
New Hampshire	$60,540
Washington	$59,840
Colorado	$58,790
District of Columbia	$58,490
Hawaii	$56,100
New Jersey	$56,040

Skills

Key hazardous materials removal workers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Monitoring 3.6 / 5

Critical Thinking 3.5 / 5

Operation and Control 3.4 / 5

Operations Monitoring 3.2 / 5

Active Listening 3.2 / 5

Speaking 3.1 / 5

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Public Safety and Security 3.6 / 5

Administration and Management 3.5 / 5

Transportation 3.4 / 5

Customer and Personal Service 3.4 / 5

Building and Construction 3.2 / 5

Mechanical 3.1 / 5

Abilities

Top abilities for hazardous materials removal workers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Problem Sensitivity 4.0 / 5

Oral Comprehension 3.9 / 5

Control Precision 3.8 / 5

Oral Expression 3.6 / 5

Near Vision 3.6 / 5

Deductive Reasoning 3.5 / 5

Daily Tasks

Common tasks include:

Build containment areas prior to beginning abatement or decontamination work.
Remove asbestos or lead from surfaces, using hand or power tools such as scrapers, vacuums, or high-pressure sprayers.
Identify asbestos, lead, or other hazardous materials to be removed, using monitoring devices.
Prepare hazardous material for removal or storage.
Comply with prescribed safety procedures or federal laws regulating waste disposal methods.
Load or unload materials into containers or onto trucks, using hoists or forklifts.
Clean contaminated equipment or areas for reuse, using detergents or solvents, sandblasters, filter pumps, or steam cleaners.
Remove or limit contamination following emergencies involving hazardous substances.
Clean mold-contaminated sites by removing damaged porous materials or thoroughly cleaning all contaminated nonporous materials.
Operate machines or equipment to remove, package, store, or transport loads of waste materials.
Record numbers of containers stored at disposal sites, specifying amounts or types of equipment or waste disposed.
Sort specialized hazardous waste at landfills or disposal centers, following proper disposal procedures.

Work Activities

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
Getting Information
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
Performing General Physical Activities
Handling and Moving Objects
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Documenting/Recording Information
Processing Information

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Jenkins CI

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Programs that train for this career include:

Environmental Control Technology

Related occupations to hazardous materials removal workers include:

Also Known As

Abatement Worker, Asbestos Abatement Worker, Asbestos Coverer, Asbestos Handler, Asbestos Hazard Abatement Worker, Asbestos Remover, Asbestos Technician, Asbestos Worker, Decontamination Worker, Decontamination and Decommissioning Operator (D and D Operator), Disaster Restoration Technician, Hazard Waste Handler, Hazardous Material Specialist, Hazardous Materials Driver (Hazmat Driver), Hazardous Materials Handler.

References

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
O*NET-SOC code: 47-4041.00

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